Call of the Fallen: Scarlet Moon
by Nachtide
Summary: Long before the times of the Clans- even before the time of the Ancient tribe- there lived the very first wild cats. Join the blind, foretelling Rock in his initial journey as a living cat, and witness the story of the Clan's ancestors unfold before you.
1. Allegiances

**Allegiances**

 **Healer:** Rock - small gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

 **Sharpclaws:**

Flame - massive dark brown tabby tom

Ice - big black tom with white markings

Sky - small gray tabby she-cat

Cloud - white tom with blue eyes

Night - big black she-cat

Leaf - small red-brown tabby tom

Stone - ginger she-cat with blue eyes

Hawk - large golden-brown tom

Lightning - black-and-white tom

Fog - small gray she-cat

Eagle - solid brown tom

Screech - small white she-cat

 **Softpaws:**

Echo - large silver-gray tabby she-cat

Mountain - massive dark gray tom

Cougar - pale ginger she-cat with white markings

Birch - dark brown tabby tom

Morning - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Stream - gray tom

Flower - ginger-and-white tabby she-cat

 **Kit-Mothers:**

Water - Mother of Rock's son: Howling Wind

Storm - Mother of Flame's sons: Running Horse & Talon Strike

Silver - Mother of Ice's daughter: Cloudy Sun


	2. Prologue

In the sheen of the silver moonlight, a massive, but scrawny, gray tabby tom seated himself at the edge of the rolling river. His blind blue eyes narrowed in concentration as he watched the fish in the stream struggle to defeat the current. The tom twitched an ear as the brush of the meadow thicket parted, and a small brown tabby picked her way through the twisted roots of the tree towering above.

"How is Howling Wind?" Rock murmured to the she-cat. His heart seemed to beat faster whenever he thought of his sickly son- his own blood. Perhaps Rock anticipated the idea of young descendants, in the long run, assuming that Howling Wind managed to recover from the leaf-bare sickness.

"He's fine, Rock," she reassured her mate. Her tail-tip twitched as she glanced over at the skinny tom, who was intently staring at the rushing water. His paws shuffled awkwardly as he swiveled his head to look at the petite she-cat. Parting his jaws to speak, Rock heaved a long sigh prior.

"I've had a vision, Water," Rock whispered, with uncertainty ringing in his voice. The young tom had always been blind, straight from birth, but he maintained the gift of receiving visions whenever some means of an omen was passed down from the heavens. Water sat down approximately one mouse-length away from the Healer. She rested the tail-tip of her bushy tail onto Rock's slender shoulder, indicating for him to continue.

"I desperately hope I am wrong, Water.. but if the vision remains true: we will be overrun."


	3. Calm Morning

Howling Wind snuggled in the safety of his mother's warm belly, grumbling as the she-cat twitched a bit. A small paw prodded him awake, rousing a groan of annoyance from the dozing kit. A rough tongue rasped over his large ear, gently coaxing him awake. Howling Wind parted his tiny jaws into a lengthy yawn, revealing his thorn-sharp teeth. Rolling over to greet his mother, Howling Wind opened his ice-blue eyes, looking up at the petite brown tabby she-cat. Looking down at his own dark tabby fur, Howling Wind realized that his fur nearly matched that of his mother's- with the exception of his being darker than her own.

"Flower came by earlier, darling," Water nodded toward the nursery entrance, where the sunlight filtered through the twisted brambles above, spilling out more beyond the den's protection. Howling Wind blinked. Flower had only become a softpaw last night- most softpaws were due for training with their guides right after. Why had she decided to come by the nursery?

As if she had guessed his thoughts, Water purred gently.

"You will eventually be joining her in the softpaw den in two moons, Howling Wind. She probably wished to teach you some tactics- or practice with you." Glancing over at a slumbering Storm, who had given birth to her sons about a moon ago, Howling Wind nodded. Stumbling to his wide paws, Howling Wind arched his spine, stretching. The young kit bounded out of the comfort of the milky-scented den not long after.

"So you finally woke up, Howling Wind," a cheerful voice echoed in the clearing. A graceful ginger-and-white tabby she-cat dashed toward the surprised kit, her amber eyes twinkling with happiness and excitement. She halted in front of the tom, seating herself in the growing grass. Signs of leaf-bare were slowly disappearing- starting with the freezing snow that Howling Wind refused to acquaint himself with throughout the season.

"Something's wrong.." Howling Wind suddenly murmured, sensing tension spike the air. Flower pricked her ears, her hackles rising as she glanced at Howling Wind with uncertainty glimmering in the depths of her beautiful amber eyes.

One voice pierced the air with a sharp yowl.

"Rogues!"


	4. Roaring Blood

Immediately, Flower shoved Howling Wind into the nursery, straight into the paws of his arriving mother. Sweeping her kit behind her, Water watched as swarms of cats poured into the camp, hissing and snarling with bloodlust gleaming in their eyes. Howling Wind hid behind the safety of his mother's leg, flattening himself to the earthy ground. Yowls of unsuspecting cats and ambitious rogues erupted in the clearing. Water glanced over behind her to face Howling Wind, her amber eyes glimmering with fear for her only son. Unsheathing her claws, she flicked her thick tail towards Storm's full nest, protected by both Storm and Silver.

"Water, where-" The she-cat silenced her son with a glare, filled with immense concern. She began to speak in a soft, but urgent whisper.

"I must fight, my kit. Stay here."

Without any other words, the small she-cat bounded off into the battle field, leaving a helpless Howling Wind to watch the brutal war in horror. Time seemed to blur before Howling Wind, as more and more scarlet blood proceeded to stain the ground before him. After a while, the young kit began to lose focus as to what blood was spilled- only that more cats seemed to back up the initial rogues who had first attacked the camp. Suddenly, he managed to pick out a single body fall to the ground.

"Flower!"

Just at the same moment, Howling Wind could hear Rock's voice pierce through the loud battle screeches, tinged with fear and uncertainty.

"Escape!"

Picked up by his thick scruff, Howling Wind winced as he swung from Silver's jaws. Dazed, the young kit stared at the brutal scene next to him- Flower's broken body. Her eyes were glazed with fight, and as she locked them with Howling Wind's, she barely managed to whisper a plea for help. Meowing, Howling Wind glanced over at Rock, who had witnessed the scene.

"She's a goner, Howling Wind. We cannot risk any more lives to possibly save hers."

Howling Wind started to protest, but was cut off by a low hiss from a nearby Storm. Her body suddenly collapsed, causing her to lose her grip on her kits clamped in her jaws. Almost immediately, Howling Wind was put to his feet, aided by only one voice as to where to go.

"Run for the lake. As fast as you can," Silver hissed. "Whatever you do- don't stop and don't look back."

Thus, he followed the kit-mother's orders.


End file.
